Glen Kamara is excited about the prospect of his move to Stade Rennais helping him return to European competition. Rennes, having regularly secured European football in recent years, is a club with strong ambitions. Between 2019 and 2023, they finished in Ligue 1’s top six for four consecutive seasons and qualified for the Europa League in 2018/19 after winning the Coupe de France. That same year, they faced Kamara’s former club, Arsenal, in the Europa League round of 16, losing 4-3 on aggregate after a memorable 3-1 win at home.
Kamara, who joined Rennes from Leeds United in the summer for €10 million, is clear about his expectations for the season. “If we don’t qualify for Europe, it will be a huge disappointment,” he admitted. “We’ve spent a lot of money this season and have a squad capable of achieving that goal.” After a 10th-place finish in Ligue 1 last season, Rennes currently sit 13th, meaning they still have work to do to break into the European spots.
The club has invested heavily in the transfer market, bringing in several new faces, including midfielder Albert Gronbaek, defender Mikayil Faye, and attacking wingers Carlos Andres Gomez and Jota. Despite the signings, Rennes also lost some key players, most notably Desire Doue, who was sold to PSG for €50 million, and midfielder Enzo Le Fee, who joined Roma for €23 million. Kamara believes the squad is still strong and will only improve as they continue to settle under new coach Jorge Sampaoli. “We have a lot of quality,” he said. “Ligue 1 is a fast-paced, competitive league, and I think people sometimes underestimate its level.”
Kamara also reflected on his departure from Leeds after just one season. Despite helping the club reach the Championship play-off final, which they lost to Southampton, Kamara felt it was the right time to move on. “It was tough to leave Leeds,” he admitted. “We were so close to going up, and I felt like we deserved automatic promotion. But that’s football. I have no doubt Leeds will challenge for promotion again this season; they have a strong squad.”
On the international front, Kamara is determined to help Finland qualify for the 2026 World Cup. After a disappointing Nations League campaign and failure to reach Euro 2024, Kamara is focused on getting his national team back on track. “Our goal is to qualify for the World Cup,” he said. “We have to go into every qualification campaign hungry and determined. That’s the dream.” Kamara, who was born in Finland, is proud of his roots and joked that he might share some Finnish delicacies like chocolate or pastries with his new Rennes teammates.
Kamara, who grew up supporting Arsenal, also spoke about the Gunners’ Premier League title chances this season. Despite being nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool, Kamara believes his former club can still mount a challenge. “Arsenal has a talented squad, and they’ve come close in the past couple of seasons,” he said. “I’m confident they can do it this year.”
Now settled at Rennes, Kamara’s role in the midfield will be crucial as the club aims to push for a top-six finish in Ligue 1. With just five points separating them from the European spots and only a point above the relegation zone, Rennes need to produce a strong second half to the season if Kamara is to fulfill his ambition of playing European football again next year.
